Center Valley, Pa, August 8, 2006– Olympus Imaging America
Inc. proudly introduces the new 2 GB Type M-Series xD-Picture Card, called
the M2 GB, an advanced ultra-compact memory media designed for digital cameras.
The M2 GB has the greatest storage capacity in the xD-Picture Card series and
is scheduled to go on sale in August 2006.

Greater storage capacity enables users to capture more Quick Time Video and
high-resolution sports, underwater and travel photos all on one card for a
longer period of time between downloads to a computer or printer. This is a
great advantage for travelers who can't easily edit or print photos while on
the road, and want to capture as many memories as possible. The M2 GB enables
users to take and store approximately 1,000 shots (average image size of 8
megapixels) with an Olympus digital still camera in HQ mode (the default high-quality
image setting).

“The increasing pixel counts of digital still cameras and the growing use
of these cameras for advanced audio and video recording are driving the demand
for higher capacity storage,” said John D. Blakeslee, business manager, digital
memory products, Olympus Imaging America. “Olympus plans to apply this high-capacity
technology to develop the xD-Picture Card for Olympus digital cameras with
memory capacities eventually reaching up to 8GB.”

Olympus will provide added software content for Olympus Master editing
software free of charge with the purchase of the new M2 GB xD-Picture Card.
The ART and 3D functions, already bundled with the H Type series, have the
ability to create cartoon art, oil, water color and three-dimensional looking
images. See www.olympusamerica.com for
more information on the functions.

The M2 GB may not be compatible with all digital camera models. Please check
the Olympus web site for details. www.olympusamerica.com .